The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-24

Something About the Wanderings To and Fro
of the "Great American Traveller"
Boston Special
A figure familiar for more than half century
on the streets of the great American cities, and
the campus of many a college; seen occasion
ally in the backwoods of Maine, and at remote
Western military points. has disappeared with
the death of DAME! Pratt. the ''Great American
Traveller" he fond of styling himself.
He died ut the City Hospital where he taken
on Friday last after sustaining shock of paraly
sis. from which he failed to rally. But little
is known of the early life of Daniel Pratt, fur
Their than that he was born in Prattville, dis
trict of Chelsea, about the year 1909. The Pratt
family came from good Revolutionary ancestry
All sorts of theories have been advanced as to
the supposed cause of the mental alteration that
made Daniel Pratt wanderer the face of
the earth and stories of crushing grief, love dis
appointment and sickness have been told from
time to time. The truth seems to be that in the
first place Daniel was too lazy to work for liv-
ing, and when he first left the banks of the Mys-
tic, about sixty years ago. he perfectly sane,
but somewhat inclined to light headed flights of
fancy.
He was a carpenter, but one who did little
work of any kind. He disappeared and was not
again IN this vicinity for twelve years, when
he reappeared, returning from journey which,
according to his story. comprehended the greater
part of the settled United States. By that time
his insanity manifested itself in the form which
it ever afterward maintained, a belief that he
had been elected President of the United States
and was kept out of his Office by combination
of INSCRIPTIONS rivals. For fifty years he lived
on the charity or those VINO fOuno amuse-
ment in the spectacle of distorted mind.
The Generator the great American rrav-
eler' very tenacious of this military
title, which he took at time when there
more generals" than soldiers at every military
muster-claimed to have travelled fully 200. 900
miles, to have been in twentyseven States and
among sixteen tribes OF Indians, and to have VS.
tied Washington nineteen times, to have
five Presidents inaugurated. land got back
alive Certain it is that General Pratt had
been a visitor to many of the military posts in
Dakota, and had invaded New Brunswick.
His special favorires were college students,
whom he declared he had found .the most
liberal young men in America For many
years, Daniel has made the tour of the New Eng
land colleges each year. and in every city
or town visited where a newspaper pub
lished. he never failed to call upon the editors
and printers. often with huge manuscript
poem or essay that he desired to see in type He
always managed to scrub along contribu-
tions cleaned his travels. and appeared to
enjoy reasonably good health and spirits. One
of his idoiosyncrasies was that the Boston Ian
GERS could at any time put down the war. and
the fact that this organization of parlor knights
never went to the front was his chief grievance
in war times. Where he slept ever knew,
but in the winter of 1855 he to Rains
ford island at his own request and passed the cold
months pleasantly and happily.